Centre urges states & UTs to carry out special vaccination drive for destitute & homeless

In a significant development, the Centre has urged states and union territories to conduct special vaccination sessions for the destitute, homeless, and vagabonds who may not have access to self-registration and lack resources for vaccination.

Govt to take help from NGOs, civil societies, volunteers, others

In a letter to the chief secretaries of states and the administrators of UTs, Union Health Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan said the state government may take the help of NGOs, civil society organisations, and public-spirited citizens and volunteers in this endeavour.

Union Health Secretary, Bhushan said more than 45 crore vaccine doses have been administered to date.

Accessible to all eligible priority groups irrespective of their socioeconomic status

The vaccination drive is people-centric and provisions have been made to make it accessible to all eligible priority groups irrespective of their socioeconomic status, he said in a letter dated July 29. There is a need to keep the focus of COVID vaccination on the most vulnerable groups to ensure vaccination is equitable and distributed to all, the letter said.

"The vaccination of destitutes and vagabonds who may not have access to self-registration and lack resources for vaccination, needs to be facilitated. States and UTs may adopt a targeted approach to cover this group," said the letter addressed.

The ministry has already advised all states and UTs, through a letter on May 6, for providing COVID vaccination to groups of people like alms-seekers, nomads, people residing in rehabilitation camps, etc while sharing the SOPs regarding vaccination of persons who do not possess prescribed identity cards.

The letter from the ministry added requested to direct the concerned Departments of Social Justice and Empowerment and Health in every State or UT to work together to facilitate vaccination of the destitute, homeless, and vagabonds.
"Concerned Departments of the State Government may take the help of NGOs and CSOs as well as public-spirited citizens and volunteers in this endeavour. A special session may be planned for conducting the vaccination for this group of persons," the letter maintained.

Notably, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale had demanded COVID vaccination for alms-seekers and the destitute people back in the month of May. On May 16, the Republican Party of India (Athawale), RPI(A) president had informed the media that he had put forth such specific proposal to the Mumbai COVID-19 Task Force. He had said, "In the entire country, there are thousands of alms-seekers and homeless people. The need to be vaccinated too."